Propeller-controlling device for submarine boats.



iNo. 75,395, Patented Dec. 9, i902.

y S. LAKE. PBGPELLER CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

Application fil/:d May 1, 1902,;V

`(NIJ Model.)

W-VNEESEE.:

Patented Dec. 9, |902.

S. LAKE.

PRUPELLEB GONFIULLING DEVICE FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

Y (Application lffd May l, 1902.) (lin Model.)

2 Shams-Sheet 2.

INVENTUR YH: Nosms PETERS su. Pam-numb., wnsnwtrroee. n, c.

UNTTED STATES 'aTaNT SIMON LAKE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,39 5, dated December 9, 1902.

Application led May l, 1902.

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SIMON LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county'of Faireld and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propeller-Controlling Devices for Submarine Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide means whereby the propelling machinery of sub marine boats may beconveniently and effectively controlled by devices preferably within reach of the helmsman or an occupant of the turret or conning-tower usually provided in this class of vessels. In boats of this nature, and particularly those designed for use in naval warfare, it has long been the practice to employ an explosive-engine supplied with its combustible gas or vapor derived from the contents of a liquid-fuel tank as the primary motor for surface propulsion, combined with an electric motor receiving its motive power from a system of storage batteries constituting a secondary motor for driving the propelling machinery when the boat is traveling submerged.

The present invention relates to an improvement in vessels of this character; and

it consists partly in means whereby the propellingdevices may be controlled by the helmsman or other occupant of the canning-tower and partly in a particular means for varying the angular relation of the blades of the propeller-wheel to its axis of motion, so as to control the speed or direction of motion of the boat without altering the speed or direction of operation of the motor driving the propellershaft. Such a device is particularly advantageous in submarine boats,wherein it is ofthe greatest importance that in making ordinary runs the engines or motors shall not be overloaded, so as to abnormally reduce their speed at the expense of efciency, for the reason that in such class of boats economy of fuel or other form of stored power is necessary on account of their limited capacity for storing the same whether in fuel-tanks or in storage batteries. By the present improvement not only may the propelling mechanism be readily and effectively controlled for such maneuvers of the vessel as may be required, but the propeller-blades may be set in such relation as Serial No, 105,432. (No model.)

to insure the greatest eiiciency of operation of the motor actuating the same.

The invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure lis a sectional elevation of the midship and after portions of a twin-screw submarine boat provided with my present improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 a longitudinal sectional elevation, upon the same scale, but taken at right angles to the former, showing a common form of reversing -propeller to which my improvement is applied; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevation of the pneumatically-controlled propeller-blade reversing device located in the conning-tower, by means of which the propeller-blades may be set in any desired position.

The hulle!l is shown provided with the usual turret or conning-tower b, with superposed inspection-dome c.

The propeller-shaft CZ is shown provided upon' its outer end with a head e, having threaded side apertures to which are fitted the screw-studs f, projecting axially from the hubs g of the propeller-blades 7t,havingslotted ears or lugs i, the apertures of which are entered by pins or boltsj, carried by the box or sleeve k, fixed upon the outer end of the sliding tube or sleeve Z, surrounding the shaft d and entering the hull through the stuffing-box m. The inner end of the sleeve Z is provided with a grooved collar n, embraced by the forked end of a rigid arm o, attached to the common plunger-rod p of the hydraulic cylinders q and fr, having the plungers q and r', respectively. The propeller-shaft is shown coupled directly to the shaft of an electric motor s by means of a clutch t, and the motorshaft is'similarly connected with the shaft of a gasolcne-engineu by means of the 'intermediate clutch t, whereby the engine may be operated to drive the propeller-shaft with the electric motor running idly for propulsion upon the surface, or the engine Amay be disconnected and the shaft driven by the electric motor for running wholly submerged, or the motor may be disconnected from the propeller-shaft and the engine operated to drive the motor as a dynamo for charging the system of storage batteries, from which it derives the electric current for operating it as a IOO motor. Whichever motor is employed to actuate the propeller-shaft, it may be driven at normal speed regardless of the condition of submergence or partial submergence of the latter by actuating the plungers q and r, or one of them, in order to axially adj ust the propeller-blades at a suitable angle to their plane of revolution or the axis of the shaft d. This may be effected as follows: Upon the wall of the conning-tower is mounted a base-plate 2, carrying an upper pneumatic cylinder 3 and a lower hydraulic cylinder 4, disposed in axial relation therewith, each having a piston 5 and 6, respectively, attached to a common pistonrod 7, passing through suitable stuffing-boxes in the heads of said cylinders and carrying at its outer and upper end a lateral pointer 8, adapted to cooperate with a suitably-graduated indicator plate or scale 9 to indicate the positions of the pistons in their respective cylinders. Both cylinders are provided with the usual ports at the opposite ends, the pneumatic cylinder 3 being connected byvmeans ofthe pipes 10 and 11,having three-way valves 12 and 13, respectively, with an air-supply pipe 14, connected with a compressed-air supply tank or receiver 15, and the hydraulic cylinder 4 having its ports connected independently with the closed ends of the hydraulic cylinders q and r by means of the pipes 16 and 17, respectively, having the straight-ahead valves 18 and 19, respectively, disposed preferably in line with the air-valves 12 and 1 3. The valves 12, 13, 18, and 19 are provided each with an operating-lever 20, all of which levers are connected together by means of a rod or link 2l, which is shown normally maintained in its intermediate position by means of the springs 22, connected to two adjacent operating-levers 20 and to an intermediate lng 23 upon the base-plate 2, and the operating-lever for the upper air-valve 12 is provided with a handle 24 for convenience in manipulating the train of levers in maneuvering the Vessel. The closed inner ends of the hydraulic cylinders q and r, as well as the hydraulic cylinder 4 and the intermediate pipe connections 16 and 17, are filled, preferably, with some practically incompressible iuid, such as oil or water, whereby the movements of the piston 6 will be positively transmitted to the plungers q and r of the cylinders q and r, and one ot' the ports of each of the air-valves 12 and 13 is directed into the interior of the boat for the release of the air in its respective end of the cylinder 3 when desired, as indicated in Fig.- 4.

In the use of the device the indicator-plate 9 would be marked opposite the proper graduations thereon with the relative speed of the boat for each position of the pointer-as, for instance, Ahead full speed, Ahead halfspeed, Stop,7 Back half-speed,7 Back full speed -such terms corresponding with Iive equidistant positions of the pistons 5 and 6 intermediate the ends of their respective cylinders.

In the positions of the parts indicated in Figs. 1 and 4 the propeller-blades would be set in such relation that the rotation of the shaft CZ would move the boat neither forward nor backward. By actuating the lever 2O 24 to admit air to the cylinder 3 through the valve 12 the valves connected therewith through the link 21 and levers 2O would be so actuated as to release lthe air confined in the air-cylinder beneath the piston 5 and to establish communication between the three hydraulic cylinders 4, q, and r, whereby the depression of the piston 5 would operate through the common piston-rod 7 to similarly depress the piston 6, and thus through the hydraulic connection of the parts move the plungers q and 1" forward to draw the sleeve Z inward and turn the propeller-blades to the right. The release of the operating-lever at the desired position of the pointer 8 obviously causes the closing of each of the valves under the impulse 0f the distended spring 22 and the propeller-blades to maintain the extreme posit-ion assumed under such operation, while the further movement of the lever 2O 24 in the same or opposite direction causes a corresponding movement of the parts to similarly operate the propeller-blades, it being understood that the movement of the levers 20 in opposite directions causes the reciprocal opening of the air supply and eX- haust ports of the valves l2 and 13 and corresponding actuation of the piston 5.

It is evident that the details of construction and arrangement of the several members of the apparatus herein shown and described may be materially altered without departure from the present invention. Thus the two hydraulic cylinders q and r, with their respective pistons, may be replaced by a single cylinder with closed ends connected with the corresponding ends of the cylinder 4 and a single piston or plunger in said cylinder suitably connected with the sleeve Z. Also some other form of actuator may be employed in lieu of the pneumatic cylinder 3, if preferred. I would therefore have it understood that such equivalents ot' the devices herein specifically shown and described are fully within the scope of the present invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is- 1. In a submarine boat provided with a conning tower, the combination with the propeller-shaft, a propeller-wheel mounted thereon and provided with axially-adjustable blades, and means for turning said propellerblades, of a cylinder disposed adjacent said shaft and a piston therein connected with said propeller-blade-turning means, a cylinder in the conning-tower and a piston therein with means for actuating the same, connections between said cylinders, and a fluidpressure medium within said cylinders and their connections for communicating the movements of one of said pistons to the other.

2. In a submarine boat, the combination IOO IIO

with a propeller-shaft and means for turning it, a propeller-wheel mounted on said shaft and provided with axially-adjustable blades and means for turning them, hydraulic cylinders located in relatively distant parts of the boat and each tted with a piston, a connection between one of said pistons and the propeller-blade-actuating means, devices for acmating the other piston, and hydraulic connections between said cylinders whereby the movement of one of said pistons is communicated to the other.

3. ln a submarine boat, the combination with a propeller-shaft and means for turning it, a propeller-Wheel mounted on said shaft and provided with axially-adjustable blades and means for turning them, a hydraulic cylinder, a piston fitted therein and operatively connected with said propeller-blade-turning means, a second hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, pistons fitted to said second hydraulic cylinder and pneumatic cylinder and connected to reciprocate inunison in their respective cylinders, an air-reservoir and connections therefrom to said pneumatic cylinder, pipe connections between the respective ends of said hydraulic cylinders, valves in said pneumatic and hydraulic pipe connections, and a valve-actuating mechanism for said valves whereby the pistons of said pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders are correspondingly actuated under the action of air admitted to said pneumatic cylinder from said air-reservoir.

4. In a submarine boat, the combination with a propeller-shaft and means for turning it, a propeller-wheel-mounted upon said shaft provided with axially-adjustable blades and means for turning the latter, of a hydraulic cylinder having its piston operatively connected with said propeller blade turning means, a 'second hydraulic cylinder and a pneumatic cylinder disposed in relatively axial relation and having pistons tted thereto attached to a common connecting-rod, pipe connections between the respective ends of said hydraulic cylinders, an air-supply reservoir and valved connections therefrom to said pneumatic cylinder, and means for controlling the admission and discharge of air to and from said pneumatic cylinder for actuating its piston.

5. In a submarine boat, the combination with a propeller-shaft and means for turning it, a propeller-Wheel mounted upon said shaft and provided with axially-adjustable blades and means for turning the latter, of a pneulnatically-actuated hydraulic operating device for controlling said propeller-blade-tu rning means, and means for controlling the operation of said pneumatic-actuating device for adjustingr the axial relation of said propeller-blades with their supporting-shaft.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 21st day of April, 1902.

sIMoN LAKE.

lWitnesses:

JAS. W. GAULT, H. E. BISHOP. 

